Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda resistance in turfgrass

Host resistance to insect pests is an economical and environmentally sound strategy for pest management in turfgrasses. The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a primary pest of turfgrass across the United States; related Spodoptera species are damaging to turfgrass throughout the world. Resistance to the fall armyworm has been identified among several grass species that are used for turfgrass. Mortality of fall armyworm larvae in no-choice feeding experiments ranged from 0-100% depending upon the genotype or the turfgrass species. Among the cool season grasses, high levels of insect resistance as antibiosis (expressed as larval mortality, slowed growth or reduced feeding) were identified in Poa pratensis L. cvs. Baron and Delwood, P. arachnifera Torr. cvs. SYN1 and SYN2 and among P. arachnifera x P. pratensis hybrids. Resistance was also expressed by Festuca arundinacea Schreb. cvs. Rebel Ii and Rebel Jr., but no resistance was identified when larvae fed on representative commercial cultivars of F. ovina L., F. ovina var, duriuscula L. Koch, F. rubra var, commutata Gaud., Lolium multiflorum Lain., L. perenne L. and P. trivialis L. Among the warm season grasses, high antibiosis of fall armyworm larvae was expressed by 13 tetraploid cultivars of Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm. and Zoysia matrella (L.) Merr. cv. Cavalier. No resistance was identified in two diploid B. dactyloides cvs. Stampede and UCR-95, or among other cultivars of Z. matrella or Z. japonica Steud or in Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., C. dactylon x C. transvaalensis (Burtt-Davy) and Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze.